OverIt

We are flying to Naples from Boston via Aer Lingus and Dublin on Aug 24. Then we are flying from Naples to Mykonos (via Athens) on Aegean and then going to Naxos via ferry. Then ferry to Athens, fly from Athens to Boston (via Dublin).

From what I can tell, we have to take Covid tests when we leave and show the results to the airline?
There is a good chance we will have flight delays or lost luggage?
Should I be booking my ferries now?
Any extra hoops we need to jump through?
Are places extra busy this year?
Might we end up with a stopover in Dublin?

Anything advice would be greatly appreciated! Haven't travelled since November 2019.

Heimdall

That’s a lot of stopovers, and I have no idea what the Covid rules are for flights to Ireland, Italy and Greece.

>> “Then we are flying from Naples to Mykonos (via Athens) on Aegean and then going to Naxos via ferry.”

Just one comment: if you are flying from Naples to Athens and connecting with another flight to Mykonos, have you looked at flights directly to Naxos instead? Or are you planning to spend a few nights on Mykonos? Naxos has a smaller airport than the one at Mykonos, and it might be too late to get seats on a flight to Naxos, but worth checking if you haven’t already. Another possibility would be a ferry from Athens (Piraeus or Rafina) directly to Naxos instead of flying to Mykonos for a ferry from there.

KarenWoo

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...g-covid19.html

CDC no longer requires negative Covid test to enter the US. Vaccination cards are required. We flew to Greece in May and we did not have to show a negative Covid test to enter Greece. I don't think that has changed but you should double check online. You need to check online for Ireland and Italy. Are you spending any time in Italy? I agree with Heimdall that is a lot of stopovers. When we flew to Santorini in May, we flew Boston/Zurich/Santorini on United/Swissair.

If it were me, I would fly from Naxos to Athens, unless you really like long ferry trips. Blue Star Ferries takes 5 - 6 hours; the faster catamarans take 3 - 4 hours. Our flight from Naxos to Athens was 40 minutes.

OverIt

Thanks for all of your helpful replies!
This is out fourth trip to Greece - first to Naples. Booked everything in January, so we had no idea that travel was going to be so chaotic.

The reason we are flying Naples-Mykonos instead of Naples-Naxos is that the tickets to Mykonos were 100 euros per person and the tickets from Naples to Naxos were $450 per person!!! It made zero sense to us, because it involves the same plane to Athens. But our host in Naxos did not have availability the day we wanted to fly, so we decided to take the ferry from Mykonos to Naxos the day after we land in Mykonos. I'm not thrilled about shelling out $$$$ to spend one night in Mykonos but my choices were spend $400 for four flights and $400 for one hotel plus whatever for the ferry vs spending almost $1400 to fly the four of us from Naples to Naxos and finding alternate lodging for one night in Naxos (it is hard to find a place for just one night!).

As for flying from Naxos to Athens, we have done that three times already and to be honest it's kind of a drag schlepping to the airport, waiting around, then training it in to Athens center. We've never taken a ferry before from Naxos to Athens so we thought it might be nice to just chill on a boat instead of hanging out in the tiny Naxos airport waiting for the plane. I've spent more than an hour waiting for that 40 minute flight!!!Hopefully the winds won't be horrible but we won't be leaving Athens for a few days so we won't be missing our flight home.

I think I probably should be looking into travel insurance though, right?! It seems like no test required for Italy (we will have to see about Ireland). We have no plans to stopover in Ireland - I'm just expecting there will be a snafu and we may have to. I'm wondering - do they test you when you get off the plane? So many questions and it is helpful to hear from those who experienced it recently. My friend flew from Boston to Lisbon in late June and their website required a negative COVID test so she spent a ton of time and money getting one and then they never even asked her for it when she boarded the plane . . .

travelerjan

IF you do take the ferry Naxos- Athens, I recommend taking the big "OPen deck" BLUE STAR ferry, not the so-called "fast ferries" which are enclosed, no room to walk around, stretch legs etc. The BLUE STAR goes 9:45 am - 3;15 pm which kills a whole day basically. OR, you can take the 6pm sailing, arrives 11:45 or so -- much saner. You must strategize, however, because you need to check out of hotel/lodgings usually @12 noon. If you ave a good rapport with your hotelier, you can arrange to leave your major luggage n his storage area.... and also, the brief use of a vacant washroom around 4:30, for all of you to wash your faces & change quickly into travel clothes. There's often a restroom off the lobby, or in a temporarily vacant room/apt, so this is possible. That way you gain a last afternoon on the beach, or wandering around, etc. OTher helpful things to know about using Blue Star:

• In High Season, buy their "Reserved Economy" seats a few days ahead of time. Some people say book online. However the drawback is, you can't realll specify location. If you buy them at a ticket agency, you can try for specific locations (they may resist, but persist if you can). The best seats are in SIDE Compartments -- these are the smaller areas, next to windows, usuall just a center aisle, about 40 seats per compartments -- quieter. By contrast the center reserved-econom area is like a huge theatre, hundreds of seats, several aisles, brighltly lit.
• "Reserve Economy" also called "Aircraft Seating" but NOT the awful cramped torture-seats the airlines have!! No, these are comfy - LOTS of leg-room, footrests, lean-back, great for snoozing. AND you are not confined to them for the whole trip. IIF you can snag Deck seats (1st come /1st served) you can sit out & enjoy sunset there, and later come inside & your reserved seat is there. NOTE: if you come indoors & find a "Squatter" in your seat, show him/her your ticket... IF he/she is a tourist. If the squatter is a black-dress Greek lady with many parcels, go find a deck steward and let HIM sort it out!
• Boarding Routine -- Waiting for Ferry, you queue up but when the gate opens it's a MAD Dash. You hustle up the ramp, drop your large luggage in/near racks on vehicle floor then escalete & stairs up to the 2 economy decks. If there are 4 of you, you might send the 2 nimblest ones (teenagerrs?) racing up, to possibly snag those precious deck seat.

OverIt

Travelerjan - you are a gem!
If I was alone, I'd take the 6 PM ferry but I am travelling with a grumpy husband and two kids, so I'm not sure I'd want to navigate the port to central Athens with them at midnight. I envision us taking the 9:45 slow ferries or probably (ugh) one one the fast ones around 11 Am or so to get into Athens mid afternoon for our 4 PM check in. As this is our fourth trip to both Naxos and Athens we do know the lay of the land. I have a GREAT relationship with the lodging people in both Naxos and Athens, so storing luggage, etc. would be NBD.

I had wanted to take the ferry from Mykonos to Athens the day we arrive but the timing was too tight to be comfortable. Same thing with the Naples-Athens - the flight arrives at 2:30 PM, and I would have loved to take the 5 PM ferry to Naxos -- but now I am glad I didn't risk it with all the travel chaos in Greece.

Wish me luck! I am terrified. So many connections, and we actually paid to check a bag for the first time ever!

Heimdall

Edited to remove duplicate posting.

Heimdall

Good luck with all those connections — I always look for non-stop flights whenever possible, even if it costs a little more, but can understand your reasoning with the savings you make by flying to Mykonos.

I’m with you on the choice of ferry back to Athens. I prefer the morning Blue Star as opposed to travelerjan’s evening choice. It fits better with hotel check out times on Naxos, and gets you to Piraeus at 3:15 pm, when taxis to Athens and the airport are on the daytime rate. I believe the nighttime rate starts at midnight, shortly after Blue Star is scheduled to arrive.

The side compartments seating to which travelerjan refers are for the Blue Star Paros & Naxos ferries, but now it’s the larger Blue Star Delos and Patmos that sail between Naxos and Piraeus. The layout is different, and I’m not sure they have those side compartments. I like it quiet too, so pay a little more for Business Class, which is laid out a bit like a lobby in a fancy hotel, with sofas and tables & chairs, and waiter service from its own cafe/bar.

If you know someone in the travel industry who has access to the IATA Timatic website, ask them to check on the entry requirements for Ireland, Italy and Greece. This is the website airlines check-in staff use to insure passengers meet all the requirements for passports, visas, and health documents. It used to be available to everyone, but not anymore.
https://www.iata.org/en/publications/timatic/

neckervd

Piraeus Athens: As the metro doesn't run until end September, you will take a taxi from the ship's pier to Athens anyway. But I second Heimdall: it's much more pleasent to sit on the open deck of a slow ferry, to move from one place to another, to visit bars, shops and restaurants, to look at he many Islands the boat is bypassing.... especially with kids!
ATH - Naxos: it might have been cheaper to sleep at Tinos or Rafina instead of Mykonos:
ATH ar 14.30, taxi to Rafina (30 min ride) - Rafina dp by slow ferry 17.30 - Tinos ar 21.10. Sleep close to the harbour. Tinos dp by slow ferry (coming from Rafina) 11.30 - Naxos ar 13.35.
There is no need to book slow ferries in advance.
High season ends at Sunday August 28th. After that date, it's easy to find good and cheap accommodation on not too touristy small Islands.
Mykonos and Santorini are always overpriced.